Athens Mayor Haris Doukas is calling for the implementation of height restriction laws in efforts to put a stop to the unregulated increase in the number of new high rise buildings in the Greek capital.
“The dilemma we are faced with is whether to continue living in a city of concrete or to change direction and create a city that can breathe. Athens can no longer tolerate more cement and more massive constructions,” Doukas said during the Municipal Council meeting this week.
Also attending the meeting was constitutional law professor Nikos Alivizatos who underlined the importance of not setting new precedents. One such example, he said, was the Coco-Mat Athens BC, located in the Koukaki neighborhood which was found to be in violation of building height laws blocking the view to the Acropolis. Despite a court decision, the company has still not torn down its two top floors.
“The Supreme Court decision on the Coco-mat hotel near the Acropolis, was issued four years ago and has yet to be implemented. These decisions are never implemented,” he said, adding that if legal protection is not taken immediately an “unacceptable disaster” is imminent.
Doukas also went on to add that construction companies behind so-called “green” skyscrapers are “greenwashing” the public and presenting false solutions to the climate crisis, something the European Commission has also identified.
Among others, the Athens City Council agreed unanimously to apply height restriction limits as foreseen by a 1955 law until a spatial planning regulation is finalized.
3 comments
There’s a lot of concrete. They’re also is no sidewalks and a lot of the roads need to repair/they are very dangerous while you’re walking on very narrow sidewalks with potholes. I also wish somebody would address the graffiti it’s out of control and it’s really horrible that it’s on churches apartment buildings and worse archaeological sites. I personally feel that we should have a fee of $1,000 and if you can’t pay it then you have to be cleaning up the graffiti.
The Coco-Mat Athens BC,in the Koukaki neighborhood,Athens,was built holding a VALID permit,issued by the municipality of Athens(maybe some bribing helped).
Athens is so crowded, cement everywhere, you still cannot breath , car parked everywhere , cars with out plates , abandoned…… people cannot walk , getting scared off cars running them over ….sad